Heaven-Defying Rebel Sage
Chapter 191 - 184: A Smile to Respond to Fate at the Moment of Picking Flowers

Chapter 191: Chapter 184: A Smile to Respond to Fate at the Moment of Picking Flowers

Emperor Di Jun and Hong Jun pressed down upon the void, preventing it from shattering and thus averting the premature onset of the cataclysm of the Meeting Yuan.

One day, Emperor Di Jun’s face changed, he waved his sleeve and said, "This is not good, the firmament has been torn!"

Hong Jun withdrew his hand into his sleeve and after divining for a moment, said, "Sun Wukong has completed the Three Thousand Great Paths, and has been discovered by the Chaos Heaven Demon, who seeks to kill him."

Emperor Di Jun said, "I must take action!"

Hong Jun shook his head and said, "Someone will take action. The fracturing of the void is worsening; if you leave even for an instant, the cataclysm of the Meeting Yuan will come a thousand years early! Xuan Ming will take action, she has prepared a contingency for herself, so do not worry."

Emperor Di Jun’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, and after a moment of careful calculation, he said, "It seems that’s the only option... But, are we truly certain that Xuan Ming can be revived?"

Hong Jun said, "Xuan Ming originally formed from the turbid Qi of Pangu’s physical body and possessed an immortal body. However, after achieving the status of a Heavenly Dao Saint, that immortal body was naturally broken. Still, she had prepared a backup plan, reconstructing reincarnation and storing her six True Spirits within it. When Sun Wukong enters the cycle of reincarnation and awakens her True Spirit, with our Great Magical Power, we will operate the Great Dao Principles and reintroduce that True Spirit into the Heavenly Dao Laws; it should be without issue."

Emperor Di Jun’s frown deepened and said, "After Nuwa was killed, only a wisp of her remnant soul remained, never to awaken. If Xuan Ming dies, can her True Spirit truly be so easily awakened?"

But Hong Jun said, "You worry too much, ’What’s destined will eventually come, regardless of wishes; what’s not fated will never be forced."

Emperor Di Jun sighed deeply and said, "It seems that Nuwa’s remnant soul should begin to play some role."

Hong Jun also sighed and said, "Indeed."

Meanwhile, the vault of heaven was being torn apart by a colossal hand seal emerging from a black hole, reaching straight for Wukong. Xuan Ming, sensing the imminent danger, used an Escape Technique to leave the Reincarnation Netherworld, and in a flash, she arrived in front of Water Curtain Cave. Wukong turned his head and saw her standing beside him.

Xuan Ming looked at him with calm eyes, then suddenly smiled faintly, saying, "Do not fear. If I die today, would you come to find me?"

Wukong stood up and shouted, "You must not die! This is my calamity; you’ve already done enough for me!"

But Xuan Ming had already formed a Dharma Seal with her hands, her mouth softly chanting an incantation, "Through three lifetimes and seven existences, though it be for love, I regret nothing in death. With the Nine Heavens as my witness, I offer my blood and body as a sacrifice!"

The gargantuan hand seal plunged down fiercely. Wukong felt a strand of his True Spirit leave his body, which Xuan Ming caught in her hand and then pressed into her Niwan Palace. The hand seal hesitated and, with a flip, hurtled toward Xuan Ming.

Xuan Ming, with hands pressed together, sat cross-legged on the ground, murmuring, "Heartless one, yet love is perceived. If you are Buddha, then I shall be Bodhisattva. Can the charm of a pre-death smile evoke your lifelong remembrance? I love you, and if I had to set a term on this love, I wish it would be for the duration of the Meeting Yuan." With that, she smiled as she held a flower, and the unfeeling hand seal descended with the will to annihilate all life.

"Slaying Immortal Four Swords!"

The Tong Tian Sect Master, arriving in an unknown moment, gave a soft cry. Immediately, four swords along with a formation map charged forward, their sword radiance spanning thirty thousand miles, erupting in water, fire, wind, and thunder. Even the power of a Saint struggled to block them, the hand transforming into a fist and slamming down on the Slaying Immortals Sword Array, sending it flying backward. The Tong Tian Sect Master’s full-force blow had no effect.

"The power of a Great Dao Saint!" The Tong Tian Sect Master turned pale.

The Pangu Banner swung, a dragon-headed staff transformed into a Divine Dragon soaring to the skies, and the Seven-Colored Divine Light blanketed the sky, with the Ninefold Merit Lotus Platform suppressing the four directions. Even Luo Hou’s World-Ending Black Lotus appeared. With this array of Saintly Magical Treasures making their appearance, they caused the heavens to collapse and the earth to split. But once that fist exerted its power, it shook off all the Magical Treasures!

"Boom!"

The colossal fist impression struck down, and a spray of blood danced in the air. Xuan Ming was sent flying out from beneath the fist, the ’Three Flowers’ and ’Five Qi’ completely extinguished, and her Heavenly Dao established Primordial Spirit dispersed in an instant, turning into nothingness. Being too powerful, even the Deification Platform couldn’t be recalled, and so, with this death, her soul truly scattered to the winds.

Wukong’s face paled as he spat out a mouthful of blood, feeling intense pain in his heart.

"In death, I might compare to Zixia in your heart..." Xuan Ming’s voice carried a touch of sigh, fading slowly away.

This sudden turn of events was astonishing. The denizens of Heavenly Court saw that a single blow from this palm had killed a Saint, and their horror was needless to say. Even the Emperor Qinghua turned pale and took the opportunity of the hand that had killed Xuan Ming to escape.

Wukong trembled, tears of blood streaming down from his eyes. He put his hands together, sat down cross-legged, and said with difficulty, "I... Buddha... am compassionate."

The Victorious Fighting Buddha Dharma Body manifested, catching Xuan Ming’s corpse and slowly reciting the Sutra for Delivering People by the Lord of Primordial Beginning.

Ancient Tomb.

Nuwa’s remnant soul suddenly awakened, exclaiming, "Has the firmament been broken again?"

With a flick of her finger, the Five-Colored Divine Light flowed, and all the wandering souls within the nine layers of the tomb gathered around her.

"Supreme Lady!"

"Goddess Nuwa!"

The lingering souls of both the Human Race and the Demon Tribe prostrated themselves at Goddess Nuwa’s feet, respectful and reverent.

Tears streamed down from Nuwa’s eyes as she said, "The Earth Immortal Realm has once again reached a critical moment of survival. You all perished in the ancient chaos, and it was with great difficulty that you preserved a wisp of your lingering soul. But now, you are destined to dissipate into ash ... I have failed you, for I could not protect you. This time, we must rely on you once again."

Emperor Suiren laughed and said, "Goddess, you have done enough for us. Our mana is insignificant, and we have made no great contributions. After lying dormant for over a hundred thousand years in a daze, it is enough now that we have awakened."

Youchao also said, "Goddess, do not blame yourself. Just tell us what you need us to do, and we shall oblige."

Nuwa’s voice trembled as she spoke, "The sky has been torn open, and I need you to mend it. Once mended, the Great Hand Seal will no longer receive mana and will naturally shatter."

Emperor Suiren laughed heartily and declared, "Very well, we are on our way!"

With those words, countless lingering souls flew up from the nine-layered tomb, heading towards the colossal black hole in the sky. These souls, numbering in the hundreds of millions, began to willingly disperse their own selves, turning into beads of thought that became Divine Thunder, raining down and causing the black hole to tremble and steadily shrink. Before they dispersed their lingering souls, they took one last look at this world, knowing it would be their last.

They died silently, valiantly, and as weighty as Mount Tai!

Nuwa pulled up her own tombstone and, with one swipe of her hand, it began to exude a five-colored radiance. Her tombstone was crafted from the Five-Colored Sky-mending Stone. Clutching the tombstone to her chest, she leaped skyward and suddenly turned into beads of thought that became Divine Thunder, which entered the tombstone and shattered it into dust. Then it descended into the hole, and in an instant, the black void began to shrink further and further, healing slowly like a wound.

The enormous Hand Seal also gradually crumbled, dispersing into fine powder and flying away ...

Throughout the Four Domains, as everyone looked up at the sky, they felt an inexplicable heartache.

It was a pain that could not be put into words.

One by one, they shed tears, no matter who they were—emperors, ministers, nobles, commoners, rogues—all the various walks of life, they knelt down en masse, bowing towards the heavens.

"May the exalted Goddess go in peace!" Yuan Hong sensed that familiar aura and let out a long howl.

"Goddess, go in peace!"

"Goddess, go in peace!"

"Ancestors, go in peace!"

Yuan Hong’s long howl reverberated through the Southern Ridge. The demon hordes within the ridge roared and wept plaintively, their cries echoing across the Four Domains, as everyone knelt and bowed their heads, bidding farewell and blessing.

The Heaven-Defying Taoist felt a severe pain all over his body and had no choice but to enter Wukong’s body, allowing the Victorious Fighting Buddha’s Dharma Body to suppress his Three Souls and Seven Spirits and the Primordial Spirit, to prevent them from leaving his body due to overwhelming grief.

"Is she truly dead? But then why must I go to find her?" Wukong puzzled in his heart.

All the saints sighed and departed.

This catastrophe gave them a vague premonition, but despite their utmost efforts, it was of no use. Xuan Ming’s demise made them realize the terror of the Apocalyptic Calamity. Having never experienced it themselves, becoming saints only during ancient times, they naturally could not fathom the severity of this calamity. Witnessing a single hand crush a Heavenly Dao Saint to death filled their hearts with unspeakable terror.

The Victorious Fighting Buddha’s Dharma Body held Xuan Ming’s corpse in its palms, chanting the "Sutra for Delivering People".

The "Sutra for Delivering People" could deliver the dead, but could it deliver a dead heart?

"Xuan Ming!"

The eleven Ancestral Witches arrived and could not help but shout out loud.

Di Jiang, however, remained calm and composed.

Zhu Rong cursed loudly, "You bastard!"

She rushed forward to strike Wukong.

Di Jiang stopped her and said, "This was Xuan Ming’s own choice, do not interfere. Let me do the talking."

Zhu Rong clenched her teeth and replied, "Fine!"

The other ten Ancestral Witches looked at Wukong with cold eyes, blaming him for Xuan Ming’s death.

To find out what happens next, please stay tuned for the following episode. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation vote, monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)